Color erasing apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9457608-B2
Application number	US-201615002580-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 21, 2016
Priority date	May 27, 2014
Publication date	Oct 4, 2016
Grant date	Oct 4, 2016

Abstract

In accordance with one embodiment, a color erasing apparatus capable of erasing the color of an image formed with a color erasable material on a sheet comprises a color erasing section configured to erase the color of an image formed on the sheet; a control panel configured to set a reading area of the sheet; and a reading section configured to read the image of the area set on the sheet and determine the state of the image erased by the color erasing section.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A color erasing apparatus capable of erasing the color of an image formed with a color erasable material on a sheet, comprising:
a color erasing section configured to erase the color of an image formed on the sheet;
a control panel configured to set an area to scan the sheet;
a reading section configured to read the area and a state on the sheet erased by the color erasing section; and
a control section configured to determine the state that the image read by the reading section has been erased and sets the sheet as reuse if the size of the holes binding the sheet within the area is smaller than a threshold value which was set beforehand.

2. The color erasing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the color erasing section is capable of erasing the color of the image through a heating processing.

3. The color erasing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the reading area of the reading section is set a default value if there is no changing command.

4. The color erasing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the single side reusable sheets within the sheets subjected to the color erasing processing are discharged in such a manner that the reusable sides of the sheets face to the same direction.

5. The color erasing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the reading section carries out a reading processing to determine whether the sheet is a both sides reusable sheet, a single side reusable sheet or a rejected sheet, and the sheets are sorted and stacked in different trays according to the reading result.

6. The color erasing apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein
the trays for stacking the both sides reusable sheet, the single side reusable sheet and the rejected sheet can switch between the both sides reusable sheet, the single side reusable sheet and the rejected sheet to be stacked.

7. The color erasing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
it is possible to set to carry out a reading, determining and sorting processing on a sheet without passing the sheet through the color erasing section.

8. The color erasing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
if it is determined, according to a color erasing state of the both sides of the sheet, that only a single side of the sheet can be reused, a marking processing indicating “not-reusable” is carried out on the non-reusable side.

9. A color erasing method capable of erasing the color of an image formed with a color erasable material on a sheet, comprising:
erasing the color of an image formed on the sheet by a color erasing section;
setting a reading an area to scan the sheet by a control panel;
reading, by a reading section, the area and a state on the sheet erased by the color erasing section; and
determining, the state that the image read by the reading section has been erased, and setting the sheet as reuse, by a control section, if the size of the holes binding the sheet within the area is smaller than a threshold value which was set beforehand.

10. The method according to claim 9 , wherein
the color erasing section is capable of erasing the color of the image through a heating processing.

11. The method according to claim 9 , wherein
the reading area of the reading section is set a default value if there is no changing command.

12. The method according to claim 9 , wherein
the single side reusable sheets within the sheets subjected to the color erasing processing are discharged in such a manner that the reusable sides of the sheets face to the same direction.

13. The method according to claim 9 , wherein
the reading section carries out a reading processing to determine whether the sheet is a both sides reusable sheet, a single side reusable sheet or a rejected sheet, and the sheets are sorted and stacked in different trays according to the reading result.

14. The method according to claim 13 , wherein
the trays for stacking the both sides reusable sheet, the single side reusable sheet and the rejected sheet can switch between the both sides reusable sheet, the single side reusable sheet and the rejected sheet to be stacked.

15. The method according to claim 9 , wherein
it is possible to set to carry out a reading, determining and sorting processing on a sheet without passing the sheet through the color erasing section.

16. The method according to claim 9 , wherein
if it is determined, according to a color erasing state of the both sides of the sheet, that only a single side of the sheet can be reused, a marking processing indicating “not-reusable” is carried out on the non-reusable side.

Assignees

• Toshiba Kk
• Toshiba Tec Kk

Inventors

• Nishijima Takeo

Classifications

• B41M7/0009 Primary

  Obliterating the printed matter; Non-destructive removal of the ink pattern, e.g. for repetitive use of the support · CPC title

• B41M5/34

  Multicolour thermography · CPC title

• B41M7/00

  After-treatment of prints, e.g. heating, irradiating, {setting of the ink, protection of the printed stock (pre-treatment or treatment during printing B41M5/0011; printers for treating or overcoating copy materials before, during or after printing B41J11/0015)} · CPC title

• B41M7/009

  using thermal means, e.g. infrared radiation, heat · CPC title